Projectile and weapon for firing same



Aug. 25, 1964 A. GLASSER PROJECTILE AND WEAPON FOR FIRING SAME Filed July 20, 1962 F|G.4 8O 76 52 54 W 55 5s 58 so FIG.5

88 INYENTOR. w ALAN GLASSER BY FIG. 8 5 W W ATTORNEYS nited rates This invention relates to a new and improved projectile and a weapon for firing the same.

A general object of this invention is to provide a projectile which is more eifective than other projectiles in present use.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a projectile which is much smaller than comparable projectiles now available so that a greater quantity of ammunition may be carried by a man than was heretofore possible.

Anotherobject of thisinvention is to provide ammunition which has a greater eifective range than other ammunition of a comparable nature presently available.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a projectile which has greater penetratin capabilities than other projectiles now available.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide a new design for projectiles, which minimizes windage effects.

To accomplish these and other objects, the projectile of this invention includes among its many features a flat, thin body which approaches two dimensions and is in the nature of a blade designed to be aerodynamically stable so as not to have a tendency to tumble in flight and require rifting in the barrel of a weapon which fires it to achieve stability. Preferably the propellent is contained in a burnable jacket secured to the rear of the projectile so that the jacket will burn during the explosion of the propellent to eliminate the need of ejecting a cartridge from the gun which fires it. The primer may similarly be housed Within the jacket and totally burn when the weapon is fired, or alternatively the primer may be secured to the projectile and leave the weapon with it upon firing.

The weapon used to fire the ammunition may be of generally conventional design except for the barrel which has a slotted central guideway for directing the projectile in flight. To avoid disturbing forces directed against the projectile as it leaves the barrel of the weapon, pressure relief openings are provided in the barrel to reduce the pressure in the barrel to ambient pressure-at the discharge end.

These and other objects and features of this invention along with its incident advantages will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a projectile constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views taken along the corresponding section lines in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are plan views of the bodies of other embodiments of projectiles constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the barrel of a weapon for firing the projectiles shown in 15 and FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views taken along the corresponding section lines in FIG. 6.

The round of ammunition shown in FIGS. 1-3 includes a body 10 and a jacket 12 secured to the rear 14 of the body. The body 10 approaches a two-dimensional object as its length L and width W greatly exceed its thickice ness T. Typically, the blade may be made of fiat steel stock approximately 1.50 inches in length L, 0.280 inch in width W and 0.060 inch in thickness T.

The jacket 12 secured to the end 14 of the body 10 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to be hollow and includes two compartments 16 and 18. The compartment '16 may house the propellent 20 of the projectile while the compartment 18-houses the primer 22.

It is obvious that the drag area of the body is minimized by making the thickness T as small as possible. Drag is further reduced on the body by providing it with sharp edges 26 along the sides and front. The sharp edges 26 may define an included angle of approximately 20 degrees. The weight of the body 10 is reduced by providing one or more holes 28 through it. Not only do the holes 28 reduce the overall weight of the body of the projectile but in addition serve to move the center of gravity 30 toward its forward end 32 ahead of the center of pressure, which tends to make the blade aerodynamically stable in flight.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 one possible means for securing the jacket 12 to the body 10 is illustrated. It is to be understood that other means may be adopted and the particular arrangement selected will be dependent in part upon the type of primer used. In the illustrated arrangement, the rear 14 of the body 10 is provided with a semicircular slot 31 of somewhat more than 180, and the margin of the slot is bevelled as suggested at 33. The forward end of the jacket 12 is provided with a generally circular ear 35 which fits within the slot 31, and the Wall 37 of the ear is inclined to fit into the slot from one side and register with its bevelled margin 33. A separate plastic filler strip 39 is bonded to the other bevelled margin 33 and/or in clined wall 37 of the ear and acts much like a rivet to retain the jacket in place.

The body 40 shown in FIG. 4 is substantially the same as the body 10 of the projectile of FIGS. 13; namely, it is provided with an opening 28 to move its center of gravity forward of its center of dynamic pressure and may be generally of the same length, Width and thickness as the body '10. However, while the body 10 in FIG. 1 is provided with a rounded leading end 32, the leading end 42 of the body 40 is squared and has a sharp leading edge 44 which may also define an included angle of approximately 20 degrees. The body 40 may be fitted with a jacket identical to the jacket 12 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or of some other variety. It will be noted that the body 40 has at its rear end 46 a semicircular slot 4-8 to receive a jacket containing the propellent and/or a primer.

The body 50 shown in FIG. 5, unlike the bodies 10 and 40 of the previously described embodiments, is made up of two separate sections 52 and 54. The forward section 52 which defines the tip of the projectile body may be made of steel or a similar material provided with sharp edges 55 to reduce drag. The rear portion 54 of the body 50 may be made of a lighter metal such as aluminum and the two may be brazed or otherwise secured together along the line of junction 56. This junction of the two parts may be of the same shape as the junction between the jacket and body of the other embodiments. An opening 58 is shown formed in the rear section 54 of the body to lighten the weight and move the center of gravity further forward than would otherwise be the case. The body 50 is provided with a semicircular recess 60 at the rear of section 54 to receive the jacket. The length, width and thickness of the body 50 may be virtually the same as. those of the previously described embodiments.

In FIG. 6 a barrel of a weapon used for firing the projectile is shown. The rear end of the weapon is omitted as such devices as the loading mechanism and trigger may be substantially identical to those of con-- but such a modification is not deemed to be a part of the present invention.

The barrel 70 is shown in FIG. 7 to be cylindrical in shape and have a central circular bore 72. of standard configuration. To adapt the bore 72 to the thin, flat projectile described above a pair of fillers 74 and 76 are placed in the barrel and extend from its discharge end 78 rearwardly to the firing chamber (not shown). The fillers 74 and 76 define a flat guideway through the barrel 70 from the firing chamber to the discharge end, and the guideway 89 is just large enough to pass the body of the particular embodiment of projectile for which the weapon is designed.

A break at 82 is shown in the barrel 70 in FIG. 6 to expose the fillers 74 and 76 so as to define a separate final guide section 84 at the end of the barrel 70. The exposed fillers 74 and 76 provide openings 36 and 88 between the edges of the fillers which openings are thinner than the thickness of the blade so that the blade must continue through or between the fillers along the guideway 80. The openings 36 and 88 provide blast relief ports in the barrel to reduce the pressure in the barrel to ambient pressure and thereby eliminate any perturbing forces which may disrupt the flight of the projectile body as it leaves the barrel of the gun. The final guide section 84 serves to giude the body of the projectile after pressure relief occurs at the section 82.

A less elaborate arrangement could be employed to accomplish the same function as the barrel 70. To assure that no perturbing forces are exerted on the projectile, it is only necessary that the pressure in the barrel be reduced to ambient pressure. A series of holes through the barrel along a portion of its length could achieve the same function; that is, prevent residual pressure for exhausting unevenly and disrupt the projectile flight just as it leaves the barrel.

The invention described above has many advantages and fulfills all of the objects outlined above. Because the projectiles are thin and flat, several hundred rounds of ammunition can be packed in the same space occupied by a standard 8-round, .30 calibre clip of the typeused in an M-l Rifle. Ten clips of this new ammunition could supply a combat soldier with his requirements for six months of battle. This is particularly beneficial in guerilla warfare wherein a man serves as an independent unit. The reduced drag area of the projectile has proved under tests to give-the projectile an effective range as much as six times that of a standard .30 calibre rifle when the same charge is used to fire both. This thin and flat configuration increases the ballistic coeflicient CDA (W is the projectile weight, C is the drag coefficient and A is the maximum cross-sectional area) to increase the ability of the projectile to penetrate the atmosphere. The penetration capability of the body of the projectile is many times greater than that of even the modern flchette. The increased penetration capability obviously raises its long and shot range effectiveness.

The barrel 70 is oriented in the Weapon so that its guideway 80 discharges the projectile with its body substantially parallel to the ground. The very thin side face (approximately 0.060 inch) presents minimum wind resistance so that windage effects are minimized. The thinness of the blade is limited only by the column buckling forces which are established during penetration of'selected targets. Thus, the thickness T of the blade is reduced to the minimum size required. Obviously reduced windage effect results in greater accuracy.

Another inherent advantage of a projectile made in accordance with this invention is the minimization of "both noise and weapon flash. Furthermore, because the centerof gravity of the projectile is aerodynamically stable no artificial means must be employed to achieve stability. Thus, while rifting of the inside of barrels for firing standard projectiles is essential to avoid tumbling of the projectile during flight, this is not required in the present invention.

Having described my invention in detail among with many of its advantages, those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made of this invention without departing from its spirit. Therefore, I do not intend to limit the breadth of this invention to the specific embodiments illustrated and described. Rather, it is my intention that the breadth of this invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. A round of ammunition comprising a substantially thin and flat metal body approximately 1.50 inches long and .28 inch wide and .060 inch thick and capable of being stacked in face to face contact with like rounds of ammunition,

a fiat percussion cap coplanar with and secured to one end of the body and housing a propellent, and a primer carried by the cap and adapted to be ignited by a firing pin.

2. A round of ammunition as defined in claim 1 further characterized by the center of gravity of the body lying forward of the center of pressure.

3. A round of ammunition as disclosed in claim 1 further characterized by the side and forward edges of the body being provided with sharp angles.

4. A round of ammunition comprising a thin body several times as long as it is wide and capable of being stacked in face to face contact with like rounds of ammunition,

a propellent secured to the rear end of the body and a primer secured to the propellent,

at least one opening extending through the body to lighten the weight of the ammunition,

and means establishing the center of gravity of the ammunition forward of its center of pressure.

5. A round of ammunition comprising a thin and flat body several times as long as it is wide,

a propellent encased in a burnable thin and fiat case secured to the rear of the body, said case being coplanar with the body,

and a primer secured to the body for igniting the propellent which inturn burns the case.

6. A round of ammunition as disclosed in claim 5 further characterized by said primer being a percussion cap adapted to travel with the body when the ammunition is fired, and

the center'of gravity of the body and cap lying forward of the center of pressure of the two parts.

7. In combination,

a flat and thin projectile having its center of forward of its center of pressure, and a weapon including a barrel having a straight slotlike guideway therethrough and pressure relief means communicating with the guideway to reduce the pressure in the guideway at its discharge end to ambient pressure.

8. A. projectile comprising v I a substantially fiat and thin body having its center of gravity forward of its center of pressure, g

means including a propellent coplanar with and secured to the rear end of the body,

and a primer operatively associated with the propellant and adapted to be ignited by a firing pin.

9. A projectile comprising a thin and flat body having its center of gravity forward of its center of pressure,

a substantially circular slot formed in the rear edge of the body having a margin of more than gravity said margin being bevelled from each face of the body,

a thin and flat completely burnable jacket secured to and coplanar with the body and with a forwardly extending tab disposed on the slot, the margin of the tab being bevelled in one direction parallel to the bevel of the margin of the slot on one side and a bevelled filler strip secured to the margin of the tab on the other side of the body for retaining the tab in the slot.

10. A projectile as defined terized by said body being made of a forward and rearward section, and with the forward section being made of a material which is heavier than the material of the rearward section.

11. A projectile as defined terized by said body being made a unitary structure from a single piece of stock.

12. In combination:

a round of ammunition having a thin and flat body several times as long as it is wide,

a propellant forming part of the round of ammuni tion and encased in a burnable thin and flat case sein claim 8 further characin claim 8 further characsaid case being coplanar References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7,410 Brown June 4, 1850 7,572 Brown Aug. 20, 1850 1,363,058 Schneider Dec. 21, 1920 3,646,842 Sergay July 31, 1962 3,048,849 De Caro et a1. Aug. 14, 1962 OTHER REFERENCES Axially Symmetric Shapes With Minimum Wave Drag (Heaslet et al.), NACA Technical Report No. 1256 1956 Design Data for Aeronautics and Astronautics (Morrison et al.), John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York (1962). 

1. A ROUND OF AMMUNITION COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY THIN AND FLAT METAL BODY APPROXIMATELY 1.50 INCHES LONG AND .28 INCH WIDE AND .060 INCH THICK AND CAPABLE OF BEING STACKED IN FACE TO FACE CONTACT WITH LIKE ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION, A FLAT PERCUSSION CAP COPLANAR WITH AND SECURED TO ONE END OF THE BODY AND HOUSING A PROPELLENT, AND A PRIMER CARRIED BY THE CAP AND ADAPTED TO BE IGNITED BY A FIRING PIN. 